Shirt-waist retainer and conformer.



,PATBNTED FEB. 24, 1903..

F. E. THOMPSON. SHIRT WAIST RETAINER AND GONFORMER.

LPPLIOATIOKIILBD MAY 24, 1902.

I0 MODEL.

' P '[I TZNTOR 1 @Ml/W WTTNLiii/SES: I

i Aflorue UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLoRENoEEfT oMPsoN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINoIs.

SHIRT-WAIST RETAINER AND CONFQRMERYI:

SPECIFICATION- forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,253, dated February 24, 1903.

Application filedMay 24,1902. Serial No- 108,832. (No model.)

To all whom it may cor worm.

Be it known that LFLORENOE E. THOMPSON, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Shirt-Waist Retainers and Oonformers; and I do herebyd'eclar'e that the followingis a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is an improved shirt-waist conformeror shaper'and skirt-supporter; and its objects are to provide a' simple easily-adjusted device forv holding ladies shirtwaists properly aroundthe waist and for giving to the fronts thereof the elongated or V contour now so popular, and this is accomplished by means of a resilient metallic band light. and thin enough to be comfortable and readily conformable to the waist of the wearer and which when its ends are connected, as hereinafter explained, will naturally assume and maintain the V shape desired without employing any extra parts or extensions for this purpose. This band can be alsoprovided with adjustable pin-slides, by which the shirt-waistcan be securely fastened thereto at any desired point, and the band may also be used as a skirt-supporter, if desired, by providing the skirt-waistband with hooks which can be caught over the band intermediate the slides thereon, or a separate skirt-supporting band of heavier material can be employed, if desired. The invention is very light and simple, yet positive in conformation when fastened, and it can, be easily connected to a shirt waist or body before the latter is puton and removed and put on therewith at the pleasure of the wearer. a

The accompanying drawings illustrate a simple embodiment of the invention, and I refer to the claimsfor concise summariesof the material features thereof for which protectection is claimed.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is'a perspective View illustrating the device in use. Fig. 2 is a similar view thereof detached from waist and skirt, showing the band fastened in full lines and open in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the band-fastening, partly in section. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section through the band. This opening is large enough to permit the opposite end 3 of the band to be slipped .therethrough. The end 3 of the band is provided with a series of backwardly-pointing notches or serrations 3 on its upper edge, so that when the end 3 is slipped through loop 2 the natural resiliency of the band will cause one of the notches 3 to engage the corner of the loop, as shown in Fig. 2, and fasten the band, and by pushing end 3 more or loss through the loop the'belt can be fitted more or' less tightly.

The band 1 is preferably made of thin steel and normally will assume and maintain a straight form, and when placedaround the waist it is necessary to partly twist or bend the front ends of the belt to enable end 3 to be engaged with loop 2, and the natural resiliency of the belt causes these parts to look when engaged, this locking being facilitated byv the expansivepressure on the band by the waist of the wearer. 7 Owing to the bend or twist of the band 1 necessary to engage ends 2 and 3,as described, the band when fastened naturally assumes the shape shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the connected ends pointing down in V shape, thus imparting the desired fashionable form to the shirt-waist front.

I consider the peculiar manner of fastening the ends of band whereby the V shape is naturallyobtained one of the important features of my invention, and it is not essential thereto that the band be made of one'integral piece of metal.

. In some cases the band might be made of several pieces suitably connectedas shown in Fig. 5, for exampleso as to allow'longitudinal adj ustability of the band, while yet sufficiently rigid to insure its ends naturally assuming the V shape when they are connected as above described.

In Fig. 5 the band is composed of two parts B and G, having their adjoining ends overt; v I

lapped and slidably connected by clips a, part A having a catch a adapted to engage one of the slits b in part B, so as to lock. the parts when adjusted.

Upon the band 1 are slipped a series of adjustable slides 4, each provided with a suitable shirt-waist engaging and retaining device, safety-pins 4 being shown attached to the slides. The wearer can fasten these slides to the shirt-waist at the desired points previous to putting it on and can adjust the slides suitably upon the band before fastening the latter. In this way the shirt-waist can be held down in place at any desired points around the band and waist of the wearer.

When used as a skirt-s11 pport, the skirt-band is provided with hooks 5, which can be caught over the band, as shown. The invention therefore is useful as a shirt-waist retainer, a shirtwaist conformer or shaper, and as a skirt-su pporter.

Having thus described my invention, what I therefore claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent thereon, is-

1. A shirt-waist retainer and conformer, comprising a metallic band having a loop at one end in the plane of the width of the band, and extending transversely thereof, the other end of the band being fiat and adapted to be passed through the loop to thereby impart a V shape to the Waist, substantially as described.

2. A shirt- Waist retainer and conformer comprising a band having a transverse loop at one end in the plane of the width of the band, and its other end serrated on its upper edge, and adapted when passed through the loop to lock therein and impart a V shape to the front of band, substantiallyas described.

3. A shirt-waist retainer and conformer, comprising a metallic band having a transverse loop at one end in the plane of the width of the band, and its other end flattened and adapted to be passed through the loop and locked thereto, thereby imparting a V shape to the waist, adjustable'slides on the band, and waist-engaging devices on said slides, substantially as described.

4. A shirt-waist retainer and conformer comprising a band having a transverse loop at one end in the plane of the width of the band, and its other end serrated on its upper edge, and adapted when passed through the loop tolock therein and im partaV shape to the front of the band, a plurality of slides on the band, and waist-engaging devices attached to the slides, substantially as described.

5. The herein-described shirt-waist conformer, consisting of a band of flat spring metal having serrations on one edge near one end thereof, and a transverse flat loop at the other end of the band lying in the plane of the width of the band and adapted when transfixed by the serrated end of the band to impart a V shape to the shirt-waist, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own IaflEix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FLORENCE E. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

AGNES V. LANDER, CLARA W. DRENK. 

